Improvement in seal-locks



UNITED STATED-s PATENT OEEIOE.

EDWARD J. BROOKS, on NEW YORK, N. Y;

IMPROVEMENT IN SEAL-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 203,996, dated May 21, 1878; application iiled April 8,1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seal-Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to the use of seals composed whollyor in part of rigid and frangible material. The present improvement is a seal-lock having a sliding bolt with a seal-chamber in its exposed face, the seal being inserted at one end of said bolt, which end subsequently abuts against a stud to fasten a hasp thereon, and said stud retains the seal, while an automatic detent behind the seal prevents the retraction of the bolt until said seal is destroyed.

Said lock is preferablyr composed exclusively of said sliding bolt, a housing supporting said stud, and the said detent, which projectsthrough the backof said housing, in connection with a swinging hasp to engage with said stud, as aforesaid.

The improved lock is adapted to be securely attached to the side of a railway freight-car or the like, and is of exceeding simplicity and compactness, while it affords ample security, and can be made of any required strength.

f Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a face view of a seal-lock illustrating this invention, the bolt being shown in retracted position. Fig. y2 is a face view of the same sealed and closed. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5 5, Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a face view of the automatic detent; and Fig. 7 is a side view of the parts ofthe said detent separated on a larger scale.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several ligures.

The two main parts of this lock are a sliding bolt, A, and its guide or housing B, which are adapted to be cast complete of malleable iron or any suitable metal. L

The sliding bolt .A has an undercut sealchamber, z, in its outer face, with an opening at the inner end of the bolt to admit the seal S. This opening is closed or crossed in the locking position of the bolt by a stud, y, on

the face 'of the housing B which stud also occupies the slot a: of a swinging hasp, C, the open end of the bolt abutting against 'said stud in front of the hasp. The bolt is held in said locking position by the spring-projected lockin g-pin wof a detent, D, which occupies a circular opening in the back of saidhousing, the end of said locking-pin 'w occupying an aperture, o, in the back of the seal-chamber z.

The aperture o being covered by the central portion of the rigidjseal S, accessto the locking-pin w is impossible until said seal is broken and destroyed. Said locking-pin can then be pushedvback by' a key-pin, and the bolt thus released. The movement of the latter in turn trom the position represented in Figs. 2 and 4 to that represented in Fig. 1 releases the ha'sp and admits a new seal to the seal-chamber.

Owing to the preferred horizontalposition of the bolt as represented, the seal can be thus left in place, if desired, for any length of time preliminary to locking the hasp, so as to facilitate the work of sealing many locks, an inspector subsequently seeing that the seals are all right and the bolts securely locked.

Rectangular seals, made rigid and frangible by protectors of ordinary window-glass, with the seals proper of printed paper securely cemented to the backs of the glass protectors,

y are preferred, provision to be made, if desired,

by'an aperture or the like in the paper -of each seal, for seeing the locking-pin therethrough when the bolt is locked. This variety of the described class of seals is not, however, considered essential to, nor is it claimed as a part of, the present invention.

The detent D, besides its primary function,

operates to prevent the separation of the parts A'B while said detent is in place, the bolt A having a stop-flange, u, to engage with. the extended shell of the detent, without strain to the locking-pin, and said extended shell serves also to protect said locking-pin against manip'- ulation through openings in the housing.

The details of the detent D are shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 7. Its shell has a at surface,

.t, as its inner end, which engages with said stop-ilange u, and a circular flange in its outer end, which tits a corresponding seat in the back of the housing B, said circular flange having holes for two countersunk screws,

which are tapped into said seat, as shown in in Fig.. 4. An axial bore of proper diameter,

extending outward from the inner end of the shell, accommodates a short spiral spring, s, and this spring presses against a lian ge, r, on the locking-pin fw.

The detent-shell and locking-pin may be cast complete of malleable iron or any preferred metal, and the spring may be of steel or brass wire. The detent may be riveted in if preferred; but access can only be had thereto by removing the lock.

The housing B is provided with a perforated ange, q, at its rear end, to receive an attaching-screw, and one or more additional screw-holes, q2, are provided inside, so that one or more of the attaching-screws will be covered and protected by the seal in the lock- .in g position ofthe bolt. Ordinary wood-screws lal consequently be used for attaching the oc r.

The bolt A has a knob, p, on its face, by which to manipulate it, and a flange, o, at its rear end, to close the matching end of the housing B. The other end of the housing is 1s contracted somewhat, so as to be lled by the hasp O. The flange at the face of the sealchamber is cut away at bottom, so that parti cles of glass can be readily removed, and the housing is notched at bottom, as shown, to provide escape for dust or water which may rind access to the interior.

A pair of perforations or a pair of perforated lugs may be added to the exterior of thebolt and to the case, to provide for securing the sliding bolt by means of lead and wire seals.

The following is what I claim as new and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, namely:

l. A seal-lock having a sliding bolt with a seal-chamber in its outer face and an opening at one end to admit a frangible seal to said chamber, in combination with a xed stud, against which said open end of the bolt abuts, to fasten a hasp thereon and to retain said seal, and an automatic detent for holding said bolt in locking position, said detent being located behind said seal when said bolt is locked, so as todae inaccessible until said seal is broken. A

2. A seal-lock composed of a sliding bolt having a sealchamber in its outer fac'e and an opening at one end to admit seals to said chamber, a housing having guide-flanges to embrace the edges of said bolt4 and a stud against which the open end of said bolt abats, and an automatic detent attached to said housing, to prevent the retraction of said bolt until the seal is broken, in combination with a hasp engaging with said stud beneath said open end of the bolt.

E. J. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

IsrnoR GRAYHEAD, JAS. L. EwIN. 

